DME Quesiton: Arriving at the airport day before check-in

[stargazertechie]

I am arriving at MCO just after midnight on my arrival date (12:05 AM the day I check in). Instead of paying for an extra night of lodging, I fully intend on wandering through MCO until 6AM when the DME counter opens. I booked my room today and they asked for flight info.

I'm not checking a bag, just carrying one carry-on. Will I need to give my flight info, or can I just show up at the DME counter at 6AM after wandering the airport for 6 hours and hop a bus to ASMu?

 

[seashoreCM]

Pick a flight, any flight, any airline arriving early in the morning. Make your advance DME reservation (for check in day) for that flight's arrival time. It is possible the DME reservation CM may ask for that flight number instead of your desired time. No problem if you arrive yet earlier and the counter is already open.

 

[kaytieeldr]

At least one of the travel sites - probably Orbitz, but it could be Expedia or Travelocity - lets you search for flights by arrival time.

 

[dudspizza]

Why not just give them your flight arrival time and catch ME to the resort. You could grab a chair by the pool or whatever and take a snooze. It sure beats wandering MCO in the middle of the night.

By the way, DME runs 24/7.

Duds

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> ... your flight arrival time ...

Not eligible for DME until after 27:59 (4 AM) when the next Disney day, your check in day, begins. (Latest known park Extra Magic Hours closing is 27:00)

If all DME guests from that evening had already been accommodated (your ressie was for 06:45 or so the next morning) then DME would have shut down and by the time they scare up a bus (probably the first one bringing unhappy guests back to the airport) for you when you call using the phone sitting on the counter, it would be close to dawn.

Now you could try at 24:42 or however soon you can hoof it to the DME welcoming area.

 

[safetymom]

You may also have a problem just hanging out at the airport if everything is closed. Security may question why you are there. I would have a plan B.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Plan B might involve, for example, finding an inexpensive airport-area hotel on Hotwire (because you can see before accepting an offer whether the hotel offers an airport shuttle) for the night, then going back to the airport as early as possible to catch the DME bus.

Come to think of it, that should probably be Plan A

 

[chartle]

You may also have a problem just hanging out at the airport if everything is closed. Security may question why you are there. I would have a plan B.

Why not just give them your flight arrival time and catch ME to the resort. You could grab a chair by the pool or whatever and take a snooze. It sure beats wandering MCO in the middle of the night.

By the way, DME runs 24/7.

Duds

I think security would question you more if you hung around the resort. Airports expect people to occasionally have to stay the night.

Here's an entire article about it.

http://budgettravel.about.com/gi/o....ttp://www.sleepinginairports.net/airports.htm

 

[Lewisc]

You're assuming you'll be able to get a room in the morning. What happens if you don't get a room until 4p? Do you think you'll get a good nights sleep in MCO?

I suggest either booking one night at a Disney value or at an airport area hotel.

edited to add--The MCO website lets you list arriving (or departing) flights by time. That will help if you need to give DME a real flight number. That will also let you know how early you might expect a DME bus. I wouldn't plan on getting a DME bus prior to the first flights.
http://www.arrowcast.net/fids/mco/fids.asp?sort=@schedule&sortorder=asc&city=&number=&airline=&adi=

The issue comes up every few months. Generally the poster winds up booking a hotel room. You won't get a good night's sleep at MCO. Look at what can happen. Get a room as soon as you get to your resort. You'll probably sleep until sometime in the afternoon. You'll waste at least half a day.

A room isn't available. You'll try to sleep by the pool. As soon as you get your room you'll sleep until a late dinner. You'll waste most of the day.